Albemarle Playground

Albemarle Road, which runs from Flatbush Avenue to Nostrand Avenue, was originally named Ausable Avenue, and was renamed Butler Street in 1897. At the turn of the century, it was fashionable to use old English names for streets and neighborhoods. This neighborhood’s namesake is the borough of Kensington in London. Other streets in the neighborhood also have English names. In 1904, Albemarle Road was named after the street in London, which itself is named for the Duke of Albemarle. Other namesakes of Albemarle include counties in North Carolina and Virginia, as well as the largest and highest island of the Galapagos Islands, also known as Isabella Island.